


Bondage and Liberation

by Anisky



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Activist Rey, Affordable Housing, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, BDSM, Basically everyone in the Resistance is a Socialist, Bondage, Capitalist Kylo Ren, Dom/sub, Dominant Kylo Ren, F/M, Hanna City, Hanna City is a mashup of Chicago and Philadelphia because the author couldn't make up her mind, Impact Play, Kink Community, Kylo Ren is Wealthy, Look there's going to be a lot of kinky stuff okay?, Nipple Clamps, POV Rey (Star Wars), Politics, Property Developer Kylo Ren, Rey believes wealth is inherently immoral, Size Kink, Socialist Rey, Spanking, Submissive Rey (Star Wars), University of Hanna City, and also a lot of political stuff, at least thus far in her life, but pretty much just in the bedroom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-05-28 08:49:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15045335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anisky/pseuds/Anisky
Summary: Rey Niima is a college student and Socialist whose favorite catchphrase is “Eat the rich." She's currently fighting to get the nicknamed "Gentrification Amendment" removed from an Affordable Housing Bill that's about be be voted on by the Hanna City Council.Kylo Ren is a wealthy property developer whose plan for luxury high-rise condos in "up and coming" neighborhoods will be ruined if the bill isn't passed with the amendment intact.But the Affordable Housing Bill isn't the only interest these two strangers have in common. Their lives are about to collide-- and the impact will beintense.





	1. Just Your Normal, Average Bar Chitchat

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this is the first piece of fiction I've written in 7 and a half years. It's the first sign that my writer's block might not be forever, so I'm happy and hopeful, but I'm also very nervous about sharing this and worried that I'm rusty. Also I wrote it in the middle of the night, like I finished the chapter at 5 AM, and it's very much un-betaed.
> 
> If there's anyone around who's willing to help me write more of it, who could help me bounce ideas off of them, etc, I would really appreciate that so much.
> 
> I want to give fair warning that if you're conservative/right-wing, you probably won't be a big fan of this fic. You definitely don't have to be a Socialist to enjoy it, though!

-

“So wait, you don't have sex with _any_ of them?” Rose asked.

Rey shook her head. “Nope, they just tie me up and beat the crap out of me.” 

“And you like this?” 

Rey grinned. “I _love_ it.” 

It was mid-May, and most college students were beginning their summer break. Unfortunately for Rey Niima, Finn Trooper, Poe Dameron, and Rose Tico, however, the University of Hanna City was on the quarter system, which meant they still had another week and a half of classes, and then reading period, and then finals. 

It was a Saturday night and they were all out at their favorite local dive bar, trying to enjoy the last night they could blow off some steam before they had to buckle down and focus on studying for final exams, completing final projects, and writing final papers. UHC was known for being grueling, and they wouldn't have time for fun again until June 8th. Since only Rey was staying in Hanna City over the summer, not having anywhere else to go, even then they'd only have a couple of days to hang out before saying goodbye for the summer. 

“I don't get it.” Rose looked over at Poe, who was sitting next to her, and Finn, who was across from her. “Do either of you get it?” 

“Not really,” admitted Finn. 

Poe stroked his chin in mock-thoughtfulness. “Well, I can't say I find the idea of being tied up and hit very appealing, but tying up a cute girl and giving her a good spanking?” He grinned and gave Rey an exaggerated once-over for effect. “Yeah, I think I could get into that.” 

Rey looked down with a small blush, then grinned back. “We could play sometime, if you wanted, Poe. As long as you get that it's not really a big deal, it's just... y'know, having fun.” 

Poe looked startled. He opened his mouth to speak, but it seemed that for one of the first times since Rey had met him in September, he was didn't know what to say.

“With no sex,” Rose repeated. It was clear from her tone that she said it again because she was still having trouble wrapping her head around the idea, not because she felt the need to remind Poe. 

“Exactly.” 

“How about oral?” 

“The rule for casual play partners is pretty much no sex stuff or touching of genitalia of any kind unless you talk about it first,” Rey said, taking a leisurely sip of her rum and coke. “There's some kissing sometimes, but that's as far as it's gone with any of my play partners. I don't know, maybe other play partners talk about adding in sexual stuff all the time, but none of mine have seemed surprised that I don't bring it up. They don't always bring it up, and when they do and I say I don't want to they back off right away. Well, usually.” 

“But they do bring it up?” 

“Sometimes, maybe after like the third or fourth session. I never do it though.” 

“Why not?” Poe apparently had decided to join Rose in her line of questioning.

“Well... when I have sex I get attached, I don't know why, it's some sort of biological thing. And attachment means abandonment. I don't want to go through that,” Rey explained. 

It was hard to say which was worse: what she'd just said, or how casually she said it. Like it was just a fact of life. 

“Not everyone you're attached to will abandon you, Rey,” Rose said quietly. 

Rey shrugged. “I guess. I mean, Finn hasn't. Of course, it's only been three years, and it took my parents four to kick me to the curb, so you're not the record holder yet.” She flashed her best friend a smile. 

“Uh, Rey, how much have you had to drink?” Finn asked, peering at his best friend's glass. She wasn't usually nearly so open about her past and her resulting issues; in fact, she was usually extremely tight-lipped about it. Poe and Rose didn't even know the whole story of her past after knowing her over a year, though after tonight that might change. Once Rey got very drunk all bets were off about what might come out of her mouth. 

“Not enough,” Rey answered, draining what was left of her drink and standing up. “Anyone else want anything?” 

“Are you sure it's a good idea to have more?” Finn asked. 

“Yup,” Rey said, and promptly headed back to the bar. 

“It's really hard sometimes to imagine her being submissive,” Rose said. 

Poe laughed; Finn nodded absently. He tapped his fingers restlessly against the table top, glancing over at Rey every few moments. The bartender working tonight was male, so luckily it didn't take very long for pretty, 21-year-old Rey to get her drink and make her way back to the table. 

“What's going on, peanut?” Finn asked as she slid back into the bench beside him. 

“What do you mean?” she asked, taking a long sip through a straw. 

“You're already drunk but you said you haven't had enough alcohol yet, and if I'm not mistaken you just graduated to a Long Island Iced Tea.” Finn jerked his chin towards her glass. “You only do that when something's wrong. Your housing for the summer didn't fall through, did it Rey? Look, between the three of us we'll be able to make sure you have somewhere to stay, you _don't_ \--” 

“No, no, I'm still fine for the summer. Kaydel's new room mate isn't even arriving in Hanna City until September and I can move into our new apartment any time after August 1st.”

“Ugh, an extra month and a half's rent for me,” groaned Finn. 

“And me,” Rose added. 

“You mean an extra month and a half's rent for your parents,” Rey snorted. 

“Hey!” Rose frowned and wagged a finger at Rey. “Don't be a mean drunk. And besides, it's an extra month and a half's rent for my student loans. Which will accrue interest so it's even more. I know your situation isn't actually worth the trade-off so I'm not going to say anything about how you won't have those--”

“You just did,” Rey pointed out.

“Right. Sorry.” 

“Nice job redirecting the conversation, Rey, but if it's not that you're going to be homeless in a few weeks, what _is_ wrong?” Finn asked.

Rey sighed. She cast her eyes down and took another sip to buy a few moments. 

“Well, it actually does have to do with homelessness. I agreed to testify at the City Council Hearing. About that Affordable Housing Trust Fund Bill and why they should scrap the new amendment.” Her voice became quieter and quieter as she spoke, the last few words said so quietly that her friends could only barely make them out above the background noise of the bar, the music and the chatter of other conversations. 

Finn's eyes widened; Rey was not surprised to see that Rose and Poe mostly just looked puzzled. 

“To even have a chance of being effective,” she said, mostly to the two sitting across from her, “I'm going to have to be totally honest about, at the very least, my last few years before coming to college. It's... it's really personal and pretty horrible and yeah, even you guys haven't gotten the full story yet, but I've agreed to tell all about it-- the whole thing-- to a room full of strangers and also friends and people who know me. Even though up until now, the only person in this city who knows is Finn.” 

“Oh,” Rose said quietly. 

“Why did you agree to do it, then?” Poe wanted to know. 

“I mean, the obvious reason?” Rey looked down at her drink, which was already more than half gone. “Do you know how many people could actually get safe housing if they scrap the Gentrification Amendment and then pass the original version of the bill? If there's even a chance that my testimony could sway the opinions of the City Council... there could even be some kids or teens who could, you know, not go through what I did. No, I have to do it. I know it's the right decision. Even if it doesn't change anything it's the right thing to try. I'm just...” She trailed off.

“Scared shitless?” suggested Finn. 

Rey tried to laugh, but it was pretty obviously forced. 

“Yeah. Scared so shitless I...” Rey trailed off and wrinkled her nose. “I wanted to say something funny there about how my lack of shit but I can't think of anything.” 

She pouted when all three of her friends laughed at her. 

“Aww, don't make that face,” Poe said. He leaned across the table to pat her arm. “We love Drunk Rey. Drunk Rey is adorable.” 

She stuck out her tongue at him, which set them off again. 

“See?” Poe grinned. “Is there anything more adorable than that? I ask you.” 

Rey sulked into her drink. 

Rose took pity on her and changed the conversation to something she knew they could talk about for hours. “How did that amendment even end up added, anyway? The bill was so good, we were so excited, and then just... splat! _Who_ thought it was a good idea?” 

“Well the Council President Darren Mark and Councilwoman Yolanda Castillo-Perez co-sponsored the amendment,” Poe said, briefly slipping into a perfect Guatemalan Spanish accent when speaking the Councilwoman's name like the native speaker he was. “But why they would think it would be a good idea to take away funds for families who make 30% of the Hanna City median income in order to give them to families that make 120% of the median? No idea. I mean, they're Democrats, which I know, still puts them to the right of all of us, but it's still bizarre. This is Hanna City, Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 1, do they not _want_ to get re-elected?” 

“You said it yourself Poe, Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 1, and the primaries are already over. They don't have to worry about re-election, they're not going to lose to their Republican challenger. In Hanna City, the primary _is_ the election.” 

(Even when she's drinking herself under the table, Rey can talk politics like a pro.) 

Rey nibbled on her straw for a moment as she chases a thought that she knows is important. 

“It is a good point though. What made them come up with the Gentrification Amendment in the first place? Did they pull it out of thin air? Was there a reason they thought it would help poverty in Hanna City? No way. Someone wanted that amendment in there. Someone whose campaign contribution they want next election.” 

“I'm sure you're right,” Finn agreed. “That's always how it goes in this corrupt system. But how would we ever know who?” 

“Follow the money,” said Poe. 

Rey nodded emphatically and pointed to Poe. “Who stands to gain the most from the amendment? For-profit property developers.”

“For-profit property developers,” Rose also said, at almost but not exactly the same moment. “Is there a way to find out which companies are interested in building in Hanna City?” 

“I don't know,” Rey said, face scrunching up in thought. “But we can try.”


	2. Munch Munch Nom Nom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey hangs out with the local BDSM crowd and meets some new people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> La! A wild Ben appears!
> 
> (Also, still unbeta'd.)

After a childhood where “leisure time” might as well have been something out of Hogwarts for all it was part of the reality of her life, upon arriving at college Rey had figured that if she didn't keep up her habit of keeping busy every moment of her day with activity and sleep, she was likely to go to the other extreme and spend all of her time procrastinating. Besides, much like for Newton's first law of motion, Rey knew that it would be easier to keep up a habit of constant action than it would be to let it slide. Just because she'd had a terrible childhood, that didn't mean that none of the habits she'd gained from it were good ones.

So she filled up her schedule. In addition to her classes, which started in late morning and between which she went to the library to study or complete problem sets, on Monday evening she had Engineering Society; Tuesday evening was UHC Socialists; Wednesday afternoon she mentored foster kids, and Wednesday evening she jumped on a bus then a train and headed north to attend the Munch for TNGHC's, the city-wide BDSM meetup for anyone from ages 18 to 35; Thursday evening she attended meetings for RACK, the University of Hanna City's BDSM Club; and then on Friday she usually went out to a bar with her friends.

On the weekend she had scheduled Bojutsu Club on Saturday afternoon and Luna Collective, a heroin and homelessness harm reduction group, on Sunday mornings. Any other time not devoted to homework and studying was usually filled with protests, projects for one of her extracurriculars, and play sessions.

Sometimes other students were aghast when they heard how busy Rey kept herself, but so many of her weekly activities were recreational ones she enjoyed that she found her schedule downright luxurious. Though she didn't ease up on how much she packed into her week, over the months and years she spent at UHC, more activities whose purpose was purely fun found their way into her schedule. When she first arrived, BDSM and going to the bar with friends certainly hadn't been on her weekly list. 

Since she never got into the habit of procrastinating, Rey had never had much trouble with finals; she'd kept up studying through the quarter and just needed to keep going at her normal pace to do well and get everything done. She would have kept up with all of her extracurriculars-- from what she could tell, when other students dropped everything to study nonstop, it tended to make them feel deprived and thus more likely to procrastinate. If she went out and did the things she liked, finals were less likely to overwhelm her.

Unfortunately, any UHC sponsored clubs tended not to meet the last couple of weeks before finals, but the city-wide groups she was part of kept going as usual, and unlike most of her fellow students, she kept attending.

Thus, the next Thursday Rey found herself waiting alone for the bus north towards the Brown Line that would take her to TNGHC, instead of the usual gang of somewhere between two and five other RACK members who usually made the trip with her. She didn't mind-- Rey was used to going all over the city by herself, and as far as TNGHC was concerned, she'd attended by herself before. The whole point of the TNGHC Munch was for it to be a comfortable, non-intimidating place to go, even if you were by yourself and didn't know anyone. After nearly ten months of attending, Rey could always count on knowing at least some of the people there, anyway.

She strode into The Ambrosia Cafe alone and quickly saw familiar faces off to the right. She smiled and waved to the group, and went up to the register to order a panini and smoothie before heading back towards the kinky folks gathered for the Munch.

Having attended for the greater part of a year, and having made friends in the Hanna City kink community and taken part in many other kink activities, Rey was no longer a considered a newbie. That meant that her job at the Munch was to welcome newcomers, make them feel welcome and comfortable and to answer any questions they had.

That in mind, Rey took a seat at on the end of one of the benches that lined the side of the table against the wall, next to someone she didn't know, leaving the chairs to her front left side open for when more people arrived.

The person Rey sat beside, who was cute and kind of androgynous, with short and vivid orange hair, was fidgeting a little bit.

“Hi!” Rey said brightly as she took a seat, holding out her hand. “I'm Rey, I use she/her pronouns. How about you?”

“Beebee, they/their,” answered Beebee, taking Rey's hand and shaking it. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too! I haven't seen you here before, is this your first time at a Munch?”

Beebee nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, the people here are really friendly, so try not to worry, okay? Just sit back, talk if you want to, or don't talk and just listen if you'd rather do that. Whatever you want, as long as you keep things appropriate for being in public. We can talk about kink but don’t be so loud that other tables can't help overhearing. We also talk about all sorts of other things. Lots of geeky and nerdy talk, that drew me in just as much as the kinky stuff to be honest.”

Beebee smiled at that. “I am a bit of a geek.”

Rey was so preoccupied greeting Beebee that she didn't even notice when a man came over to sit down on the chair closest to her until several minutes later. She'd just glanced upward to see which number order was currently being served and startled so badly she jumped a foot out of her seat when she realized that a tall, broad, dark-haired man was sitting to her left.

To her relief, though she didn't quite stifle her gasp entirely, Rey _did_ manage not to scream. Of course, between her tiny gasp and her large jump into the air, it was obvious to the new arrival that Rey hadn't noticed him until that moment. He was new, too, or at least, if he'd attended Munches before, they'd been ones that Rey had missed-- and she didn't usually miss them.

“Hi!” she gasped, somewhat breathlessly. She eyed him, calculated for a fraction of a second, and decided that trying to pretend she hadn't been startled by his presence would just lead to more embarrassment. “I'm Rey, she/her pronouns. I'm so sorry about that. I don't know how I missed you,” she apologized.

“Ben, um, he/him pronouns. It's fine.” His lips twitched slightly, but Rey was only thankful that he was restraining himself from all-out laughing at her.

As she turned to look at Ben properly, Rey really couldn't understand how she could have possibly missed his arrival. He was just not the kind of man you didn't notice. For one thing, he was huge. She couldn't tell quite how tall he was while he was sitting down, but she was pretty sure he was over six feet. He was large in a muscular way that spoke to many hours in the gym; Rey had a feeling that he could bench at least two of her without difficulty. His face wasn't quite conventionally handsome, but it was definitely striking, and it only took Rey a few moments to decide that she found it-- that she found _him_ \-- incredibly attractive.

Rey shook herself, realizing with a blush that she'd been staring, and, further horrors, that she had no idea how long she'd been staring.

_Please, please let it only have been for a few seconds_ , she begged the universe. It could just as easily have been a few minutes, but she didn't even want to think about that.

“So, ah, is this your first time at the Munch?” Rey was glad that she had a fairly formulaic question that she could ask him to start the conversation, because she wasn't sure that she would have been able to string a coherent, non-embarrassing sentence together just then.

“It's my first time at the Hanna City one,” Ben answered, sounding much more relaxed and at ease than Rey. Usually when she was talking to a newcomer it was the other way around. “But I just moved here from San Francisco, and was involved with their TNG and their kink community.”

Rey nodded along. “Cool. How long were you in the scene there? What brought you to Hanna City?”

“I've been involved on and off for about five years. I moved here for work.”

“Temporarily or permanently?” Rey asked. She wasn't entirely sure why that was the next question that popped into her head, but decided not to examine it too closely.

“Not entirely sure yet. Sometimes those decisions aren't in my hands. I expect to be here the better part of a year at a minimum, though.”

Rey nodded.

“And yourself? How long have you been attending?”

“About ten months,” said Rey. “I got involved first with the BDSM club at the University of Hanna City, and then started coming here a bit later. It's nice to get out of Hyde Park sometimes, a lot of students only leave during break. I know students who haven't even seen most of Hanna City, which is such a shame.”

“I've only been here a few weeks, but it is a beautiful city,” Ben agreed. “So I'm guessing you're a student at UHC? That's a great school. What are you studying?”

“Computer programming, with a minor in math. I'd intended to be an Engineering major in college--”

“UHC doesn't have an Engineering school,” Ben broke in, his brow furrowed.

Rey rolled her eyes. “No shit Sherlock, you think I don't know that _now_? But I had a truly terrible high school guidance office and limited of access to the internet outside of the school library, so.” Rey waved her hands in the air, as though to say, 'Here I am.'

“I'm sorry to hear that. Couldn't you transfer? Though I guess without first year engineering classes it would set you back a year.”

“Yeah, that, and also, transfer students aren't eligible for the same kind of scholarships and financial aid that regular applicants are. I came to UHC because they're covering everything.”

“Everything!” he exclaimed. “That's a nice deal. Well, except for not having your desired major or even your desired field.”

Rey couldn't deny that a large part of her was both angry and disheartened that after all how hard she'd worked, how much she'd sacrificed to fight her beyond her circumstances and make it to one of the best colleges in the country, that still the lack of resources of her destitute upbringing would still prevent her from doing what she truly wanted for the rest of her life.

But she hadn't managed to fight her way up from nothing and out of what might as well be nowhere by wallowing in her own misfortune. So she waved a hand and said, “I like Computer Programming. Even if UHC teaches it ridiculously theoretical when I'm more of a hands-on learner. Just one more challenge, right?”

Rey smiled at Ben. He cocked her head to the side and looked at her thoughtfully.

“That sounds hard,” he said.

Rey shrugged. “Life is hard. For most of us, anyway. And anyway, UHC teaches everything with a ridiculously theoretical bent so it's not like I could get hands on with any major I chose.”

Ben was quiet just long enough for Rey to start feeling awkward, wondering if she should turn around and see how Beebee was getting along, when finally the corners of his mouth curled into a smirk as he spoke.

“Is that why you come out here? So you get a chance to get more hands-on?”

Rey giggled. (A small part of her stared at the rest of herself incredulously. Rey was not usually a _giggler_. What was going on with her?)

“To be honest, when it comes to this kind of thing I'm not usually putting my hands on much apart from the occasional headboard or the bar in front of a spanking bench or something.”

Ben's smirk became a full-fledged grin, and a slightly naughty one at that. “So you're a sub?”

“Oh yeah. I tried to top a few times, it was a disaster.” Rey rolled her eyes at herself and _giggled_ again. “Yourself?”

“I've switched on rare occasion, but I'm very much a dom.”

Rey had had a feeling.

“Color me surprised,” she murmured ironically.

“What gave it away?” he laughed.

Rey cocked her head and considered him. “Nothing you said or did specifically. Just... your whole general demeanor.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

Rey noticed that he was leaning in towards her slightly just as the number for her order came up behind the counter.

“Oh, that's me,” she said, pointing up at the number and holding up her receipt. She smiled, not wanting him to think she was trying to get away because he'd been leaning in closer to her. “I'll be right back, okay?” 

Ben leaned his elbows on the table and nodded.

Rey stood up, realizing as she did that she would really have to squeeze to get past Ben. That, or ask him to move. She bit her lip for a moment before she decided to just squeeze. 

This turned out to be a good decision, since as she brushed up against Ben she could feel that his chest and arm were rock solid beneath his shirt. Rey felt her face heating up as she made her way past him and up to the counter. It was an unusual feeling for her; Rey didn't tend to get turned on by something as vanilla as a traditionally attractive body. Well, a well-muscled body meant strength, which meant more options for creativity when playing, Rey rationalized. It didn’t mean anything besides that.

When she returned carrying her food and smoothie, Rey was slightly disappointed when Ben stood up to let her back to her seat. _Whoa there, girl_ , she told herself as she sat back down. _Slow that thirst._

Strong desire for anything apart from her planned goals had rarely served Rey well in life. Wanting things too badly just set her up for disappointment and heartache. If she was hoping to become play partners with Ben-- and she was open enough with herself to admit that, despite only just having met him, she very much was-- then she had to make sure she didn't want him _too_ badly. If her craving for him became too strong, she had to walk away. It was a rule Rey followed strictly when it came to this kind of thing-- it was the only way to avoid misery and heartbreak.

“So, what's good here?” Ben asked. “I guess I ought to order something, I imagine the cafe wouldn't be too happy if most of the people who showed up for this didn't.”

Rey opened her mouth to answer when she was distracted by hearing her name called. She turned her head to see Kaydel walking over to the table.

“Kaydel!” Rey answered with a smile. She stood up and _maybe_ used the opportunity of hugging her friend hello as an excuse to brush up against Ben's rock-hard arm and chest again-- twice-- as she had to get out from her seat where she was slightly trapped by the large man, hug Kaydel, and then slide back to her seat again. “How's it going?”

“Great!” said Kaydel. “Looking forward to being roomies for a while! How about you? What are you doing up here, aren't finals coming up?” Kaydel took a seat on the other side of Ben, which was the only seat still open where she would be close enough to speak to Rey.

Rey briefly explained her philosophy of not depriving herself of fun during finals as an anti-procrastination method before she turned to make introductions. Beebee had turned around again to look to the left side of the table, so Rey included her.

“Beebee, Ben, this is Kaydel, a good friend of mine and actually one of the co-founders of the University of Hanna City's BDSM club. Kaydel, Beebee and Ben are both new to the Munch, though apparently Ben was part of the scene for years in San Francisco and just moved here recently.”

“Welcome!” Kaydel said brightly. As well as being former co-founder and president of UHC's club, she was also one of seven 'Presidents' of TNGHC. “We're so excited to have you here! So Beebee, what made you decide to come out?”

The conversation shifted to include a larger group-- which, Rey realized with a slightly guilty start, she should have made a point of doing all along. Munches were easier when she'd been a newbie and all she had to think about was getting to know whomever she felt like getting to know. Still, helping others was more satisfying in the long run, even if it harder sometimes.

Rey's eyes kept flicking to Ben throughout the conversation, but with her mind on her responsibilities, Rey didn't return to the one-on-one chat with Ben. It was a shame, because she was pretty sure the attraction wasn't one-sided, especially since she caught him glancing at her a few times. The sides of his mouth curled up in a small smile whenever they caught each other looking over at each other at the same moment. She leaned over to him and quietly explained why she should be participating in larger conversations on their side of the table, and he seemed to get it.

Time still flew by, as it usually did at the Munch, and as Rey noticed others getting up to leave, it was with some regret that she looked down at her watch to see that it was nine o'clock.

“Looks like it's about time to head out,” she said. Rey turned to smile at Ben. "So, are you coming back next week?"

"Will you be here? I heard your friend mention something about finals coming up?"

Rey waved her hand dismissively. "Thursday and Friday of next week are reading period, so I'm definitely good to come out next Wednesday."

The sides of his mouth curled up again. “Well, I'm sure I can make an appearance next week as well.”

“Great!” said Rey, trying not to sound overly eager. She looked over at Beebee and added, “I hope we'll be seeing you here, as well?”

Beebee nodded, looking a little shy. “Maybe not every week, but yeah, I think I'll be back. I had a really good time.”

“I'm so glad to hear that,” Rey said, with genuine pleasure in her voice. “That's what we love to hear!”

Rey slung her purse over her shoulder and waved to everyone who was still there. She couldn't resist one last smile at Ben, who had stood up as well to let her through, before giving Kaydel a goodbye hug and heading out the door.

Except, it appeared that Ben hadn't only stood up to let her through, because as the bell attached to the door jingled above Rey's head, she became away of a large figure standing behind her. She turned her head back as she walked to see Ben-- oh, he really was tall wasn't he?-- walking behind her.

“Hey, long time no see,” Rey joked. “Which direction are you headed?”

“My car's that way.” Ben pointed.

“Cool, the el stop is that way, too.”

They walked side by side.

“You said you go to UHC, right? I can give you a ride to Hyde Park if you want,” Ben offered.

Rey raised her eyebrows at him. “I only just met you tonight, I'm not going to get in a car with you! You could be an axe murderer for all I know!”

(Rey resolutely ignored the fact that, if Ben showed up next week, she was planning to agree to go to his apartment alone with him for the purpose of having him tie her up and beat the crap out of her. Besides, by the time she met up with him to go to his apartment it would be their third time meeting. Totally different!)

Ben huffed a short laugh. “Will it make a difference if I promise that I'm not a murderer, axe or otherwise?”

Rey considered for a moment. “You're not a Trump supporter, are you?”

“No!” he exclaimed, recoiling slightly.

She looked at him suspiciously. “Gorean?”

“Now I'm _really_ getting offended.”

“Hey, I had to check!”

“So can I give you a ride home now?” Ben asked, with an exasperated but strangely fond eye roll.

“I told you, I don't get into cars with men I just met, even if they are non-Gorean, non-Trump supporters,” Rey laughed.

“Well, my car is that way,” he said as they got to the corner, pointing the opposite way from the el stop.

“Okay then, I hope I see you around,” Rey said with a smile.

“Well yeah-- I'll see you at 6 next Wednesday.” Ben winked, and turned left down the street.

Rey watched him go, biting her lip for a moment as she eyed how nice his ass looked in his jeans as he walked. Oh, she was in _trouble_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it took me a while, but it looks like being able to write the first chapter wasn't a total fluke, because here's Chapter 2! Hurrah! I even have like a third of Chapter 3 written. Well, unless I end up discarding what I wrote so far, but the point is I'm already working on it!
> 
> Again-- please be somewhat gentle, as it is pretty hard to share my writing when I've been out of the game for 7 1/2 years. But I DO value constructive criticism-- how am I going to get better and not be rusty anymore without feedback on what I need to improve? Just, you know, criticize a little bit gently for right now, until I get back into the swing of things, please. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, there it is, first fictional thing I've written since early 2011. Please be gentle, I hope this is a sign I'm getting back in the groove and not a fluke, but definitely don't be afraid to give constructive criticism either!
> 
> I know it's a little slow this chapter but part with city politics lays the groundwork for the rest of the fic. And don't worry, I know this chapter was lacking Kylo, but he'll show up in Chapter 2! I'm not really a slow burn kind of person, lol.


End file.
